


The Pokemon World

by Snowden



Series: Olivine Canon [4]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-03-11 03:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3311441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowden/pseuds/Snowden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A blog for my Pokemon fanfiction series "Olivine Romance" and related works. Each chapter discusses a random topic on my interpretation of the Pokemon world, e.g.: an explanation for Pokeballs, how the Pokemon League is organized, the personal history of a character I am writing about, or just my personal thoughts on my own writing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

This is a compendium of information pertaining to Olivine Romance. It is not a fanfic in the traditional sense, and does not tell a coherent story. What it does is provide background information, facts and trivia, that would be useful for reading Olivine Romance and its related stories. This is one interpretation, my own, for how the Pokémon universe would work, if it were presented as a realistic, modern, functional society similar to our own.  
It also includes my personal thoughts on my own stories, insight into the writing process, the narrative of Olivine Romance, and other tidbits that can't be explored within the story itself.  
For those who love delving into the intricacies of a world populated by humans and monsters living side-by-side, I hope you enjoy.


	2. Pokemon

On this little blue dot of a planet, billions of years ago, something miraculous happened: a confection of primordial soup produced a set of proteins that began replicating themselves. The process was sustainable and iterative, and from it was born life as we know it. There is no consensus whether this was an accident of nature or guided by divine hand, but the inexorable outcome was the production of a myriad of life-forms- namely a certain species of hominid. Us. Humans.  
Yet somewhere along the way, something mysterious happened that altered this Earth that differentiated it from our Earth. A strain of DNA was introduced into the global ecology that quickly infected nearly every multi-cellular organism on the planet. This DNA mutated many of the creatures it came in contact with- they began evolving, developing superior physiological traits, granting them strength, stamina, and advanced capabilities. Many began adapting elements of their environment into their biology. Formerly non-sentient organisms, such as plants and amoebas, gained both consciousness and mobility. This became an ongoing process, until even modern inanimate devices could be affected by this powerfully virulent DNA strand.  
When ancient humans encountered these creatures, they noticed how they were different from other animals- they were far more dangerous and more aggressive than usual. They started calling them Monsters. With the invention of the first crude capturing balls in 1912, the creatures were now transportable "in one's pocket"- and so became Pocket Monsters- or Pokémon, for short.  
Basically, a strange pink creature descended from outer space in ancient times: Mew. An intelligent and social being, it tried befriending all of the creatures it met. Sadly, these creatures were always stupid, shy, or hostile. In order to make them more acquiescent to friendship, Mew imbued them with its own extraordinary DNA. All the magical properties of Pokémon can be traced back to this ancient genetic modification by Mew, and why every Pokémon now shares the same DNA sequence.  
Mew's DNA sequence is composed of many thousands of genes. Each gene can be suppressed or expressed, the result of which determines many of the properties of a Pokémon- their type, capability for evolution, strength and defense, moveset, susceptibility to hyper-spatial forces (i.e. capture rate), intelligence, etc. Most Pokémon carry residual DNA from their ancient non-Pokémon ancestors, which usually determines more standard aspects such as body shape, organ function, etc. A small percentage of Pokémon are artificial in nature and so work purely on Mew's DNA combined with inorganic bodies- for example, Voltorb. One Pokémon is composed entirely of Mew's DNA and attendant biomass: Ditto. Ditto's shape-shifting ability is a result of its amorphous, non-fixed genetic expression.  
Mew approached apes and their human descendants many times, but each time found them to be selfish, arrogant, fearful, and dangerous, completely unwilling to socialize with Mew. Perhaps because proto-humanity did not receive the genetic gifts from Mew, they had to develop the ingenuity and cooperation that led to technology and civilization.


	3. Pokemon and Humans

Humans long feared the creatures in the tall grass, for good reason. Humans and Pokémon often fought and killed for all the natural reasons: food, territory, fear, instinct. It was a more violent and primitive world. Let's reiterate, it was a VIOLENT world, far more so than even our own Earth in its barbaric past. Because Mew's genes generally worked to empower the creatures it affected, it also increased their tendency to meet conflict with aggression rather than flight. The increase in conflict accelerated throughout geological history. With the rise of human civilization, conflict between the various monsters and humans rapidly increased. The situation became untenable, and without intervention would almost certainly have led to the annihilation of one group or the other.  
However, throughout the world there was a slow, sporadic form of diplomacy developing. Isolated incidents of cooperation occurred, often with a human working with a single Pokémon in order to confront a larger, more dangerous Pokémon. It is impossible to accurately gage when or where the first Pokémon-Human partnership formed, as it seemed to have happened in many places at once, and had become widespread as early as 4,000 BC.  
In time, with the rapid advance of human civilization and technology, Pokémon's collective power waned and could no longer threaten humanity's existence. In places the creatures were no longer thought of as wild dangers, or even as equal partners, but as beasts of burden, pets, and servants. With the invention of the Pokeball, Pokémon subservience to humanity was complete.  
That is not to say they went quietly, or that Pokémon's violent tendencies disappeared. In order to form an outlet for both human conflict resolution, and Pokémon aggressive tendencies, a less-than-lethal form of violence was invented: Pokémon battles. The function of battles evolved from usage of Pokémon as weapons of war, to ritualized combat practice, (akin to jousting), to pure sport.  
Pokémon ownership now exists as part of a traditional societal framework that is rationalized as a symbiotic relationship: humans gain partners to be used as proxy for their conflicts, as an intellectual and social sport, and as helpers in a wide variety of labor and hobbies. Pokémon are given food, shelter, companionship, instruction and intelligence, and an existence that is far more peaceful and less prone to early mortality than their wild counterparts.  
The relationship between Pokémon and humans is constantly changing, never without controversy, and ultimately the most important aspect to the identity of this world's society.


	4. The Deification of Arceus

Arceus is one of the most eminent, powerful, and mysterious of all Pokémon, and the only one worshipped as a deity in modern times. While only the most fanatical members of the Arceus cult will insist the Pokémon is the Almighty, responsible for the creation of the universe, few will deny the nigh-miraculous powers that it has displayed.  
Its reputation as a god can be attributed to its ability to shape reality to suit its needs. There are theoretical limits to this ability, but the breadth and complexity are astonishing none-the-less. Tales exist of this Pokémon visiting planets in the Outer Solar System, creating rivers of water out of desert sand, and preventing a war by rearranging the history and relationships of a group of tribes.   
Perhaps the most controversial tale comes from Sinnoh, dated to approximately 1540: that Arceus was confronted with a highly intelligent human, who challenged the Pokémon to a debate in philosophy. Impressed by the human's wit, Arceus attempted to create a human being from nothing, a so-called attempt to better understand humanity through reverse-engineering. Versions of the tale differ on what became of this created human, but they generally agree that they served as Arceus companion for some years. One sect of Arceus worship insist this person was humanity's messiah, and that their ancestors are still alive and will one day rise to lead us to salvation. Others believe the human went on to play a part in other historical events. It is popular to suggest many prominent figures of the period were in fact created by the Creation Pokémon. Most modern scientists are highly skeptical of the entire legend, despite public popularity.   
Despite the many rumors and legends, there have only been four proven encounters between Arceus and humans. The first was in Sinnoh in 461 AD; when the Pokémon was said to appear before a pair of warring armies. The account is considered credible because of the presence of historically reliable scribes on both sides, and although the armies were highly antagonistic towards each other and often twisted historical reports to suit their own ends, their separate accounts of Arceus were highly detailed and highly congruent with one another.  
The most recent was 1942, when Arceus was photographically recorded creating a floating mass of plants to help buoy a sinking ship and thus saving hundreds of lives. Non-verifiable accounts exist as far back as circa 3000 BC, and of course, in the present day thousands of reported sightings of questionable legitimacy are put forward each year.  
Arceus status as a god, or even The God, can only be partially attributed to its displays of power. In nearly every verifiable and rumored instance of its appearances, the Pokémon has shown great interest and great benevolence towards humanity. Its actions have been interpreted and imbued with spiritual significance by religious scholars. Some interpretations have been formally organized into a coda of living, said by its adherents to be Arceus message on how to live a good life, improve humanity's conditions, and reach peace and salvation.


	5. The Pokemon League

          The Pokémon League is an international regulatory body that governs all matters pertaining to Pokémon. Its two main functions are to promote peaceful Human-Pokémon interaction, and to regulate the popular sport of Pokémon Battling.

          The League is independent of national governments, and has no role in governing human society. The League has individual charters with each nation to allow it to operate within that nation's territory. Not every nation has granted the League authority within their borders, and some nations allow but restrict what the League can do. The six regions that make up the main Pokémon games (Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kanto, Johto, Kalos, Unova) are all a part of member states that strongly support the Pokémon League. Some regions have no functional government due to violence and instability and thus the League has no power in those regions (eg. Orre).

          *Geographical note: The Pokémon World roughly corresponds to the real world. Nihon is the nation that corresponds to real world Japan and encompasses the Pokemon regions that are based on Japanese regions: Sinnoh, Kanto, Hoenn, Johto, Alma, etc. *Note that 'Nihon' is the actual Japanese name for their nation/people/language.* Kalos is the largest of three regions that make up the France-insert (I haven't decided on a name for this country). Unova is one of nine regions belonging to the USA-insert (also no fictitious name decided).

          The Pokémon League operates hundreds of branch sites, one for each region. Five "Super-Regional Headquarters" exist to coordinate activities and centralize administration. Indigo Plateau, Castelia, and Lumiose all host a Super-Regional HQ, the other two are in unnamed cities in central Asia and South America equivalents. Central Headquarters is located in Redwood City, Castor Region. This skyscraper contains the offices for all the senior bureaucracy and leadership of the Pokémon League, (although CEO Stone prefers to work from the Indigo Plateau Office).

          The Castor Region (e.g. Northwest Coast of USA) was chosen for hosting central H.Q. because of the region's relative unimportance. There are no Pokémon native to Castor due to a cataclysmic volcanic eruption wiping out all endemic species several centuries ago; all wild Pokémon there were imported from other parts of the world. There are only three Gyms and trainers are only allowed to capture four Pokémon (they don't want trainers to take too many wild Pokémon from the fragile ecosystem there). The competitive scene is not enthusiastically embraced by the community. Because of these reasons, Castor produces very few elite trainers and even fewer prominent Pokémon-centric businessmen, politicians, or professors. This culminates in Castor having very little clout in the global arena of Pokémon politics. When selecting the site of the League Global HQ, it was feared that if it were based in a region with a pre-established base of power, such as Kalos or Kanto, that would give that region far too much voice in determining world-wide policy (imagine Prof. Oak asking that every trainer be required to participate in his Pokedex project whether they wanted to or not, and HQ actually listening to him because he's a local celebrity). By locating Global HQ in a weak conference, it can remain independent and globally-focused.

          *This was inspired by the Residence Act of 1790, in which the location of the future US capital was placed in a backwater area between the power-bases of the North and South in order to avoid favoritism by the federal government (sort of… little more complicated, but that dives into US history, not Pokémon world-building).

          The League began life as the Conference for Ethical Pokémon Battling in Anistar City, Kalos in 1875. The chief concern then was the widespread practice of resolving personal conflicts with Pokémon duels- until that point battles had been regulated by gentlemen's agreement, but in recent years honor had fallen by the wayside and duels were marked by aggressive and dangerous practices- most disturbingly, Pokémon being ordered to attack opposing trainers during the course of the battle. To curb the growing violence, the Conference proposed that all battles be fought within the confines of pre-existing dedicated fight clubs, later known as "Gyms". It was thought the social environment of the Gyms would allow battles to be watched over by peers and excess violence would be curbed. This so-called "quarantine commandment" was never enforced, but it became the first step in a grass-roots movement to bring Pokémon Battles under public control.

          A number of interwoven organizations formed in order to bring structure to battles. As more and more Pokémon battles fell under their control, discontent trainers claimed the organizations also bore the responsibility to host and exhibit Pokémon battles (i.e. "If you're gonna tell us what to do you better pay us"). Coinciding with this was a public debate about the validity of various selection processes and independent tournaments/conferences for selecting a so-called "World Champion". A committee of prominent figures met in 1900 to discuss hosting a World Championship Tournament. In order to secure funding, they agreed to abide by rules of fair play set by the various ethics organizations.

          The 1904 Inaugural World Championship brought together all of the groups that would eventually form the Pokémon League: the banks that funded the tournament, the businesses that advertised for it, the Kalos government that provided facilities, the Unovan government that provided logistics and security personnel, the ethics activists that formulated the rules, the Gym clubs (mainly Kanto) that forwarded candidates for competition, and the Pokémon experts who provided officiating.

          The format has evolved over the years. The current system is extensive and sometimes complicated. Each region is home to a Pokémon League conference, which determines its own champion. All regions have a set of Gyms (usually 8) whose leaders must be defeated and badges collected to earn entry to the regional tournament. Most also have a small, prestigious group of trainers that work for the League and provide additional challenges for the top tier of competition- the Elite Four.

          Beyond the Regional Championships, there are also Invitational Tournaments, which are competitions not aligned with a particular regional branch. These are often sponsored by corporations. Competitors are selected by invite-only, often drawing from the winners of lesser tournaments. These Invitationals are regarded as the highest level of competition in general years.

          Every trainer of notoriety is tracked by the Committee on Competition and ranked. In the run-up to the World Championship, the race to qualify is closely monitored and is a spectator-sport unto itself. Winning a major conference is a guaranteed invite, as is winning one of the more prestigious Invitationals. Other ways to receive a spot is compiling an inordinate number of Gym Leader badges (40+), or to excel (e.g. top 5 finish worldwide) in another Pokémon sport, such as Competitions, Pokeathlon, Cooperative (think 20v20 Pokémon battles on a golf-course-sized battlefield), and others. Exactly 256 trainers are selected four months prior to the tournament, on a day called "D-Day Monday" (Decision-Day Monday). Selected trainers are seeded and put into groups of 8. Groups play a 4v4 format round robin against each other. The top two from each group advance to the 64-participant single elimination tournament.

          Including the recent 2012 tournament, there have been 27 World Championships (the 1944 tournament was cancelled due to world war/economic depression). Winners of the World Championship are hailed as heroes and include a list of some of the greatest and most recognizable names:

Samuel Oak: 1968, 1972

Alder: 1980

Steven Stone: 1992, 1996, 2004*

Diantha: 2000

Tobias: 2008

Red: 2012

*the 2004 championship was awarded de-facto to Stone, after the semi-final match opposite his was cut short by the Castelia World Championship Tragedy.

          World Championships are held every four years. In off-years, the League typically hosts 5 Super-Regional tournaments, with similar rule sets. Besides the regional, super-regional, and world championships, the League also offers officiating for any trainers who wish to battle publically. While not obligated to use League officiating, trainers do receive benefits: the results are factored into their Global Ranking, which is not only used by the Tournament committees, but all manner of other organizations- including sponsors and ad agencies (=$$$). The presence of League officiating is considered the distinction between a "real" battle and a casual, practice affair. Elite trainers often do without in order to experiment or just have fun without the pressure of winning to maintain their winning percentage. Notably, Steven Stone has a flawless "Official" record, with 2071 victories, no losses, no ties. However, he has lost almost 100 battles in his lifetime (over half of them to his wife), but all were unrecorded, casual affairs- he'd have almost 600 more victories too if these matches were counted. The debate about the legitimacy of Stone's record is… heated.

          In addition to running the tournaments, the League enforces safety rules over all Pokémon battles and Pokémon ownership, regardless of officiating. They have their own international police force for hunting down Pokémon abusers and cooperate with national governments in dealing with criminals who use Pokémon to commit crimes. The Enforcement Division is currently led by Lance Cross, former CEO and former Indigo Conference Champion.

          The League's other miscellaneous duties: maintain the Pokémon Gym system, including paying and administrating the Gym Leaders, oversight over other Pokémon sporting events like Pokeathlon, regulating Pokémon used for manual labor, maintaining the public Pokecenter system, leadership in PokeScience and PokeHealth fields, promoting Pokémon research, educating the public about Pokémon ownership, and maintaining healthy environments for wild Pokémon.

          Because of the enormous importance of Pokémon to humanity, and how intertwined Pokémon and humans are on nearly every level of society throughout the entire world, it is no exaggeration to say the CEO of the Pokémon League is the most powerful person in the world, and bears the most responsibility of any person in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to ask questions. If I don't have the answer, I'll be sure to make one up on the spot.


	6. Real World Comparisons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An explanation for how I've made the Pokemon universe a parallel to our own universe.

In my fanfiction I have endeavored to create a Pokemon universe that is both true to the canon but also vastly expanded upon. In order to maintain some semblance of cohesion, I decided that the Pokemon universe would be an approximate parallel to our own universe. This chapter explains my reasoning:

          The six main Pokemon generations feature regions clearly based on real-world counterparts: Kanto is based on Kanto, Japan. Johto is based on the Kansai region of central Japan. Hoenn – Kyushu Island, Sinnoh – Hokkaido Island. Unova is a stand-in for Manhattan/New York City, and Kalos is Northwestern France. From this and other small hints, I have come to a conclusion that the Pokemon World is analogous to our own Earth. The names might be different, the shapes a little different, the history is close but not an exact match, but the similarities would be recognizable.

          I have extrapolated this concept to the entirety of the Pokemon universe. Everything in our world exists in their world in some altered form. For instance, when I wanted to throw in a mention of fake regions as flavor text, I based the regions off of Belgium (Truembach) and the Northwest U.S. Coast (Castor). I’ve tried alluding to the various continents, Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa, without specifically naming them (e.g. the “western continent”). In keeping with real world geography, the regions are not independent nations, but rather, they are semi-autonomous states within larger nation-states. So that, Sinnoh, Kanto, Hoenn, Johto, and a few smaller regions (e.g. Almia) all belong to a single nation called Nihon- Nihon being the Japanese name for Japan. Unova and Orre belong to a fictional counterpart to the U.S.A., although I haven’t given this country a name yet. So on and so forth.

          Geography is not the only thing where this concept applies. Media, culture, and entertainment also are applicable. I made up an anime called Magical Girl Shyuu-Chan, which is basically a straight rip-off of Sailor Moon, except the heroines are based on the days of the week instead of the solar system planets. Another invented anime would be Dragonball V- which is basically just what it sounds like. Even within the canon there’s the Hoenn Rangers Coexistence Force, a mock Super Sentai show (or, think Power Rangers), so other pop references I feel are justified.

         Sometimes the names are slightly different, other times they’re shamelessly duplicated. The holidays are mostly the exact same as ours- with Olivine Romance being set in Johto/Kansai, a Japanese region, Jasmine would mostly celebrate Japanese holidays, e.g. Tanabata. Some western holidays are also mixed in, but not as prominent and may lack the significance they would hold in a western nation. For instance, when talking about Halloween, Jasmine implies it’s a weird, foreign holiday that’s not typically celebrated throughout her nation, but merely an excuse by the young adults to dress up and have a party (for a real world analogy, Cinco de Mayo is an important part of Mexican culture, but to Americans it’s only an excuse to have fun and mimic Latin American customs). Christmas is likewise, to Jasmine and other Johto residents, it’s a winter holiday for exchanging gifts and spending time with family. It doesn’t have the same religious significance as it would for people in Unova or Kalos.

          And speaking of religion- this can be a touchy subject. So, in line with the real world parallel concept, most real world religions are present in some form in the Poke Universe. Christianity is there, although I haven’t named it as such, as is Buddhism and Islam. If I did include them, I would probably rename them to something similar but not exactly the same. I did rename Shintoism to Shindoism, and like Shinto in Japan, Shindo is the most prevalent religion in Poke-Nihon. For examples of characters that follow a religious faith: Erika’s parents are Shindoists. Jasmine’s father belongs to a Catholic-like sect, while her mother belongs to the majority group: secular agnostics/atheists. You can expect that religion is just as controversial in this world as it is in our world. It can be a source of inspiration and moral guidance, and it can also be an impetus for partisan divide, conflict, and bigotry.

          I have used the dating system for BC and AD, to create familiarity with our own dating system. The justification is that the Pokeworld Christianity-analog have spread their faith and culture all over the planet, primarily through economic influence (and movies). While the rest of the world was resistant to taking up their religion, they did start using their calendar, units of measurement, and language.

          Other religions exist here that do not exist in our world, mainly due to the presence of Pokemon. Some are merely belief systems that try to teach moral interaction with Pokemon, others worship the creatures directly. In the distant past many powerful legendries were considered gods worthy of worship, although the advance of scientific understanding and technological power dissipated that notion- a god that could be trapped in a little ball was not very impressive. In the modern age, only two Pokemon are venerated by more than a few miniscule cults: Mew, as the mysterious progenitor of all Pokemon, is worshipped not as a god but as a kind of prophet or messenger. And Arceus, a Pokemon of such power and mystery that it is not even known if it was created by Mew, or vice-versa. Despite skepticism by scientists and the general public, a small but significant number of humans actively worship Arceus and claim it to be the creator of the universe.

          As you can see, while this world does appear similar to ours, it is also very different, and Pokemon provide the major factor for that difference. In our world, we had World Wars I and II, caused by a conflux of nationalism and political upheaval. In the Pokeworld, they had the Great War, which was caused by a fundamental conflict between an upper class that wanted to monopolize Pokemon ownership, and a lower class that wanted Pokemon ownership to become a universal right. The two sides organized themselves along national lines, some nations taking a Pro-Pokemon/Democratic stance and others taking an Anti-Pokemon/Authoritarianism stance (“Axis” and “Allies”, anyone?). The Pro-Pokemon side won the war, resulting in the spread of democracy, public access to Pokemon ownership, and laws that limited the concentration of Pokemon ownership into the hands of the wealthy.

          History is replete with these same inexact analogs. The industrial revolution marked the start of the rise of humanity over Pokemon. At the same time, it marked an improvement in relations between humans and Pokemon, since humans no longer needed to force Pokemon to serve as beasts of labor; machines could do the same job, but faster, with less care and more efficiency. Using Pokemon as laborers became supplemental and optional, easing the burden placed on the creatures. When the first Pokeballs came out, humanity’s mastery of Pokemon was complete. Yet, because Pokeballs allowed for universal ownership of Pokemon, it brought the species closer together and imparted many humans, especially children, with an appreciation for the creatures they shared the planet with. Basically, it’s harder to think of them as monsters to be feared when your child is rolling around the playroom with a Growlithe or Sandshrew.

          The computer revolution was kick-started in part in an effort to improve Pokeballs. The first supercomputer was built not to solve fundamental questions of the universe or crack enemy cryptocodes, but to handle data processing of the PC System- it takes a mind-boggling amount of computer power to transfer digitally-condensed biomaterial from one point in space to another.

          We had the Anti-Slavery movement in the 1800s and the Civil Rights movement in the 1900s- the Pokeworld had the Pokemon-rights movements in the mid-1900s. Today in the U.S. we have an ongoing and highly divisive debate over policing practices, in the Pokeworld there is considerable debate about the ethics of Pokemon battling. We argue over global warming, they argue over resource conflicts between man and wild Pokemon.

         We have Bill Nye, Katy Perry, and Audrey Hepburn. The Pokeworld has Professor Oak, Lisia, and Diantha. We have R Lee Ermey, they have Lt. Surge. We have Big Foot, they have Az. Our Twinkies are their Casteliacones.

          The examples go on and on.

          In my works, you might have noticed a strange naming convention- humans have western first names and Japanese last names. As a practical concern, this is because I wanted to keep to canon as much as possible. Since most trainers lack surnames in the Pokemon canon, I simply used their English names as first names and used their Japanes first names as their last names in my work. So, we know Jasmine, the Japanese know Mikan, so in Olivine Romance she is named Jasmine Mikan. For some people it worked, for others I had to get creative. Lance is called Wataru in Japan, but “Lance Wataru” didn’t sound that great. Instead, I took the meaning of Wataru, “a bridge, or to _cross_ (a bridge)”, and used that as a basis for his surname- not to mention Cross has connotations of religious fervor, which fits the character I’ve created for him of being a fanatical idealist and enforcer of morality.

          To justify this mish-mash of naming schemes in-universe, I point again to the spread of western customs- the popularity of western culture and language has meant that many parents are giving their children western first names, while keeping their old, traditional Japanese surnames.

          Of course, this is a flimsy excuse for me being American and using English language to override the Japanese-centric Pokemon games, but well…

          It comes to the greater issue of, “How do I flesh out the Pokemon universe?”. I wanted to make it a realistic world, a living, breathing world with logical, scientific explanations for everything. I did not want to make it “darker”, “edgier”, or otherwise add an overwhelming sense of negativity that often accompanies the introduction of realism (i.e. death, discrimination, amorality, etc.) to children’s works. Most of all, I wanted to construct a world where Pokemon battling- what would amount to cock-fighting in our universe- is not seen as a wholly barbaric sport, that it has value and tradition in its universe and can be presented as ethically justifiable. To do that, I had to get creative on a number of fronts (explained in Ch. 3). I’ve listed above a number of ways I’ve approached this challenge, there are many more. They are not perfect. One of the most difficult things was how to transpose a Japanese-made game to an English piece of literature. I am a native English speaker with a limited grasp of the Japanese language, writing for other English-speakers, and so I rely on western conventions, western cultural icons, western customs, and western notions of society. Trying to rely on the Asian/Japanese conventions would probably not work for me, because I did not grow up with them, I do not understand them well, and my audience is not familiar with them. I try to incorporate what I think I can get away with (e.g. Jasmine calling Morty a “baka”, and the Japanese surnames thing as mentioned above). Otherwise, it’s a crapshoot. I’m sure a Japanese Pokemon fan, if they knew English and took the time to read Olivine Romance, would be upset with all the western elements I’ve imposed on the PokeUniverse, and that’s understandable.

          Another related struggle has been to flesh out the world while keeping true to the canon. You might have noticed, but the Pokemon creators are really slow cranking out new generations. We only have six so far; and four of those take place in Japan. That means the vast majority of this fictional Earth is undocumented, and by implication, a lot of cultures, nations, and most especially, _Pokemon_ , are left out of the picture. I don’t know what a Pokeworld Spain would look like, or what kind of new Pokemon would inhabit it. Where this hurts me is when I want to present a global sensibility into the work. As long as I dwell on local stories, I’m fine. A story about Johto residents doesn’t need to include Pokemon from the other side of the planet. I made it so that Jasmine doesn’t recognize very many Pokemon that are not native to the four Nihon regions, specifically so that I could avoid talking about Spanish and Brazilian and Afghani Pokemon that don’t exist. It becomes a problem though when I want to present a “World Championship”. You’d expect Spanish and Brazilian and Afghani Pokemon trainers and Pokemon to show up for such a tournament, it would be weird if they didn’t. What should I do then? The answer I’ve come up with is a compromise- I create a few fakemon and fake regions, mix in old, real Pokemon, and then steer the narrative so I do not have to dwell on these non-canonical elements. When I narrated the World Championship massacre in Succession, one of the contestants had fake Pokemon, but you’ll notice they didn’t play a major role in the battle, their screen time was brief, and their impact was minimal. That was on purpose. I wanted them to be present to show the global nature of the League, but not have them play an important role and thus break the reader’s sense of continuity. It wasn’t a fakemon that went on a rampage, but a good old Aerodactyl. Even when I do mention fakemon, I try hard to not rely on my own imagination, but use popular fakemon artwork from around the web, to create at least the tiniest bit of public-domain legitimacy. For instance, “Master Mime” was not my idea, but an artwork someone else came up with which I thought looked both neat and a logical evolution for the Mr. Mime species. When I created my own pet region Castor, I gave it a history that justified it having only real Pokemon: all of its native (ie fake) Pokemon were wiped out in a volcanic explosion, and Pokemon from Johto and Hoenn were imported to fill the void.

          In the end, I hope I didn’t mess up too much. I wanted to create a comprehensive, realistic world. I wanted to flesh out cultures, geography, and characters. I know not everyone will agree with the way I’ve done that. That’s okay. This is a _fan_ fiction; it’s not the only interpretation, or even the best, and far from the most canonical, it’s merely my own personal imagining of the Pokemon universe. As I go forward I will strive to make it as interesting as possible while staying true to the spirit of the Pokemon universe.


	7. Pokemon Language

There are a number of different ways authors have gone about presenting Pokemon communications. The least controversial and most universal is body language- a wagging tail, a smile, a swipe, a hunched posture, perked up and alert, these are all universal signals that can easily be relayed in any medium.

          The problem comes when trying to present the vocal portion of Pokemon speech. How should authors handle this?

          The games and anime have the luxury of sound. The games present every Pokemon with incomprehensible, animalistic cries. Some are growls, other are chirps, others are… well, they’re sounds you’d expect to come out of a monster. Most are impossible to translate into written letters. The anime has each Pokemon voice its name.

          Fanfiction authors have a tougher time of it. They have to try to put Pokemon vocalizations into written letters. Their choices are limited, none of which are satisfying:

          1) Pokemon can talk.

          I’m not on board with the idea that Pokemon are as smart and intellectual as humans (with a few exceptions). First, they’re monsters and wild animals, second, it would be unethical to capture a creature that is fully sentient and cognizant and force them to do work and battle. Also, in my works and a few others, some Pokemon are used as food by humans. Lastly, my works concentrate on the humans in the story, and giving speaking roles to the Pokemon would necessitate them taking too large a part in the story and character development.

          2) Pokemon use telepathy

          Same issue as above, and also implies every Pokemon is part Psychic-type.

          3) Use onomatopoeia.

          Could work, but I am not fond of making up nonsensical words each time a Pokemon opens their mouth. Also, much of the time they would be unreadable.

          Nidoran cried, “Rrrrggrrrlllrr.”

          “Noarreooow. Wrrararara. Rrrrt.”

          “Grrrwww. Grraoow!” the Sandshrew growled.

          “Err errr errr errr rr rr rr rr.”

          “Errrruuuut pft pft pft.” (lol Gastrodon)

          See what I mean?

          4) Never state a Pokemon’s voice, always describe it. –The Growlithe roared proudly. Stunfisk sucked the air while alerting its trainer. Kricketune chirped. etc etc.

          I think this goes in the opposite extreme of dehumanizing the Pokemon. To never give them a voice that actually appears on the screen would strip them of all character and relegate them to mere descriptions in the background. To me, Pokemon are not at human-levels of thinking, but they are above real life cats and dogs in terms of intelligence. To remove them from the dialogue would degrade them as characters and push them further down the intelligence scale. Also, such a method would clog up the work with unnecessary, tedious prose.

          5) Pokemon use their names.

          The anime’s solution, Pokemon language consists entirely of their own name.

          My solution: #5.

          Pokemon speak using their names, or at least the syllables of their names mixed together, as well as varying lengths and intonations (Ampharos! Ampha! Amphaaar. Ampharooo! Roo! etc) to convey different meanings. This has the advantage of being easy to write, while still allowing enough variety to give the Pokemon a good sense of expression and the impression that their intelligence falls between a human and a chimpanzee. It’s still not perfect, and I wouldn’t be doing it this way if I were making an anime out of Olivine Romance, I’d use their real cries instead.

          The in-universe justification for this goes like this:

          Wild Pokemon do NOT speak. They use growls, cries, roars, whimpers, and other inarticulate vocalizations, the same as beasts. Wild Pokemon aren’t even that smart, and their speech only conveys very primitive messages- Danger! Food! Baby! Run! Give!

          However, because of the Mew DNA every Pokemon carries, it is within their power to adapt to new environments very quickly. When caught by a human, Pokemon rapidly adjust to civilization and human company. They begin to comprehend human speech, learn good and bad behaviors, and most of all they learn their names. In fact, it is because humans call Pokemon by their names that Pokemon use their names as their language. E.G., after hearing Pi-Ka-Chu recited to it dozens and dozens of times, a Pikachu will mimic the sounds in “Pikachu” and begin to use those sounds for its language.

          Why are Pokemon limited to just the sounds in their name? Two reasons:

          Pokemon can adapt quickly, but not exhaustively. The part of the brain that stores muscle memory, the particular set of neurons associated with the larynx, is only capable of storing so many permutations. A Pokemon takes up the sound that is most repeated to it, its name, and imprints this into its permanent memory. Further sounds and syllables become exponentially more difficult to store into muscle memory. Not impossible, but difficult.

          Secondly, when humans were naming Pokemon, they not only went with names that agreed with the Pokemon’s apparent theme and looks, but also with names the Pokemon could actually pronounce. A Charizard is named as such because it is a great lizard that can char the ground, but also because its voice box is physically capable of producing the sounds for “ _Charrrr! Charizard_!”

         


	8. Olivine City

_"The port with the sea breezes."_

In 201 AD a small shrine to the sea deities was built on the bluffs overlooking Crescent Bay. This was the first known human occupation of the area that would become Olivine City.

          The area was ideal for the creation of a prominent city. Situated between the estuaries of two rivers, the Gold Sand River to the east and the Bronze Sand River to the west, and a deep natural harbor to its south, it had ample access to water. The natural harbor would allow access to deep-drafted ocean-going vessels, and the flanking capes with their tall cliffs could provide shelter against ocean-born storms. The Gold Sand River traveled north and excavated a wide, fertile valley ideal for raising crops and livestock. The heavily forested mountains on its western border offered wild game, timber, and mineral resources.

          The only reason that a great city did _not_ rise from this confluence of natural resources was the interference of power-hungry humans. Goldenrod City, home to the Golden Shrine and a powerful political family, had preceded Olivine in settlement and growth. The Daimyos of Goldenrod were afraid of other regional cities competing for power and trade. Those cities they could not subjugate directly (Ecruteak, Violet, Mahogany), they waged ceaseless interference of all kinds to disrupt their development, up to and including war. Because of raids and oppression, the area never developed beyond a collection of fishing villages, farms, and ferry-docks.

          In 1880 the shrine, along with most of the ancient towns and villages along the coast, was washed away by a massive tsunami. The locals appealed to the governor of Goldenrod for aide, but were rebuked. The disaster became a pretense for the newly formed Imperial Government to seize the territory and begin development. The Emperor and his cabinet were interested in creating a counter-balance to the regional power of Goldenrod that would support them. With their support, the modern city of Olivine was founded in 1889.

          Because of the differing loyalties and history, mutual suspicion and animosity exists to this day between the citizens of Goldenrod and Olivine. Older generations still bear genuine grudges towards each other- they remember a feud that erupted over air-defense responsibilities during the Great War- while younger generations think of the relationship as a fierce, but friendly, rivalry. This is perhaps most pronounced in the rivalry between the two cities’ sports teams.

          On the site of the old sea shrine a tower was built to watch for tsunamis and storms and give advance warning. By 1926 the development of the port and robust sea trade created the need for a lighthouse. The Whirl Islands were responsible for creating heavy fog banks, and the harbor was hedged on both sides by rock formations. The storm-watch tower was refurbished into a lighthouse. As was common for the time, an Electric-type Pokemon was selected to provide illumination. Mareep being common in Rt. 39 to the north, an Ampharos was selected, and one has been responsible for guiding ships into the port ever since.

          In modern times, Olivine City functions as a high-tech industrial hub. Its desirability as a tourist destination had somewhat flagged after a series of incompetent mayors. The current mayor Adoch has made a fiery commitment to redevelopment, with some success. The lighthouse was remodeled, a sky lobby was opened to the public, and the landmark was renamed Glitter Lighthouse. A strip of Crescent Bay was developed into parkland and beach-front. The port district was made over with several upscale shopping districts. High-tech industry was lured away from Kanto using tax incentives and cheap land. The original battle tower, built in 1965, was rebuilt into a massive multi-use complex complete with a 22-story, 60-arena competition tower and 20,000 seat stadium.

         Despite the many improvements, Olivine City is still not known as a travel destination, but rather a nice tourist stop while waiting to board one of the resort cruise liners based out of Olivine port.

          The population of the city proper is 180,560. The greater metropolitan area contains 395,000 people. The average household income is 4,233,000 Pokedollars (approx. 1.03x the national average.) Unemployment is 5.3%. Poverty rate is 17%. The official flower is the hellebore. The official Pokemon is Mantine.

          The weather is temperate: cool winters and warm summers. The sea serves to moderate temperatures compared to the more extreme inlands. The combination of geography and topography create an unusual weather pattern for Olivine. Hurricane season arrives early while the extended monsoon season arrives late in the year. The deep, warm seas surrounding Whirl Islands and the mountainous capes surrounding its bay serve to concentrate and intensify directly-approaching hurricanes. To mitigate damage from storms and possible tsunamis, a series of storm-surge canals and levies have been built crisscrossing downtown Olivine.

          The canals divide the center of the city into informal districts. The business district lies in the center, due north of Glitter Cape. To the southeast is the industrial and port district, northeast the Old Residential District, northwest is the New Residential District, and southwest is the Recreational District. The city’s major economic drivers are tourism, ship-building, maritime-research, industrial electronics and machinery, beef, wool, rice, and seafood processing, and mineral processing, mainly iron and steel.

          The city is renowned for its beef dishes, drawn from the Miltank farms in nearby Rt. 39. It is not known for any major cultural festivals, and the biggest festival is the generic New Years Day celebration. The city’s official color is olivine yellow, sometimes substituted for light green. Drug and gang activity is low; the biggest criminal threat is illicit gambling and smuggling. Its most famous citizens have typically been sailors- naval captains, pirates, and explorers. Olivine’s sports teams are the Mantine Marines (baseball), the Flashes (basketball), and the Octilleries (soccer). The film “ _Wide Awake In Olivine_ ” was shot on-location here. The 2012 national Gym Leader Summit was held at the Battle Tower. Its political culture is more liberal than the nearby communities of Ecruteak and Cianwood, but still far more conservative than Goldenrod, Hoenn, or Kanto. Its leading educational institute is Olivine University, a respected multidisciplinary post-secondary, graduate, and research institute.

          The name Olivine was derived from the mineral olivine, which can be found in excellent quality within the granite quarry by the western shore. Some also suspect the color of the pale green hills that back Olivine influenced the name.

          The first Pokemon fight club was founded here in 1898. The Pokemon Gym was formalized in 1907. The mark of Olivine City in the world of Pokemon competition is the sheer number of good-but-not-great trainers it has produced. Of the 74 yearly Nihon National Pokemon Tournaments, an Olivine Citizen has made it to the semi-finals or finals in 28 of those years- yet none have ever won the tournament. Even in the Johto regional tournament, an Olivinian has reached the semi-finals or finals in 40 of the 77 years it has been held, yet they have won only 3 times. Likewise, all three of its World Championship candidates have made it to the quarter-finals, but none to the semi-finals. The string of near-misses and dashed hopes has instilled a sense of fatalism in the city’s fandom. The soccer, baseball, and basketball teams have suffered similar “not-quite-good-enough” circumstances for decades.

          Ironically, because of their lack of success at the highest level, many trainers moved on to successful careers in politics and business; Olivinians in high positions were instrumental in the decision to build the original Battle Tower near Olivine City.

          The most famous trainer from Olivine is without a doubt Captain Ian Beret. He earned the Naval Cross for Bravery for helming a naval ship full of desperately needed humanitarian aid through direct enemy land, sea, and aerial bombardment. Seven of his sailors died and he himself suffered back injury, but thanks to their efforts six thousand refugees were likely saved from starvation. His prowess on the Pokemon battlefield was equally noteworthy, acquiring a 202-41-12 record in tournament play and 10854-6040-341 record as the Gym Leader of Olivine City. It was thought that he could have been the first Olivinian to win the national tournament and even competed in the World Championship, however he refused to participate in these tournaments because it would require him to leave his position as Olivine City’s Gym Leader. Altogether, he served his country and his city for 40 years with honor and distinction.

          The current Gym Leader is Captain Beret’s designated successor, Jasmine Hayate-Mikan.

          Other famous trainers originally from Olivine also include Norman and Brendan (currently in Hoenn, Gym Leader and reigning Champion, respectively), and Peter Phaeton, also known as Team Rocket Executive “Proton”.

 

 


	9. Lance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this section a while ago, when writing Transmutation. Needed to do a character evaluation on Lance because his actions and beliefs were complicated and sometimes contradictory.

Who is Lance?

          A distant cousin of Clair. A legendary Dragon Tamer. A high official of the Pokémon League. Former Johto and Kanto League Champion, including the prestigious Elite Four Champion.

          He's been all over the world and seen some rough shit. Especially with criminals treating Pokémon with abuse and disrespect. The Pokémon turned out to become every bit as depraved as their masters. He grew sick of it. He especially grew sick of humans, and believed all Pokémon needed to be treated with kindness.

          When he was given the position of CEO of the Global Pokémon League, he began enacting many extremely strict rules on Pokémon battles and Pokémon ownership. The world came to view him as a tyrant and an anti-Pokémon fanatic. Far from the truth, however, he was a radical anti-trainer. He wanted to create a League where Pokémon would no longer be abused by their trainers, and so he sought to gradually destroy the very concept of Pokémon ownership. He was influenced by the radical Unovan political group Team Plasma and its leader, N. Between his personal experiences and what he learned of the world, he became a part of the "Separatist" movement.

          His efforts to separate Pokémon and their trainers with various rules- e.g. new trainers were limited to catching 6 Pokémon within a 5 year timespan, all trainers had to register themselves and their Pokémon to a global database, large Pokémon collections had to meet arbitrary standards that biased against them (like requiring a certain minimum amount of active, non-PC time for every Pokémon, and 4 checkups a year for an expensive procedure to test for PC-stasis addiction)- ended up making him extremely unpopular. His image was also exacerbated by the Board of Trustees, in particular Gabriel Brach, pursuing their own agendas to limit the role of Pokémon in human activities. Brach is notable for holding open disdain for Pokémon. In addition to what Lance was trying to do, the way he did it was draconian, without consultation and little notice, and often clashing with national governments and other political entities. He was eventually ousted because his measures had caused a precipitous drop in participation and viewership of League games- the primary revenue generator for the League. He was replaced by Steven Stone.

          After his ouster Lance returned to his job as the head of the Johto Elite Four. Disgusted by the rampant commercialism in the league and still convinced of the threat posed by abusive trainers towards society and towards Pokémon, he soon managed to find a new job as a "Special Consultant" for the Pokémon League, where he used his acumen and infamy for various purposes. He destroyed several criminal teams, acted as a trouble-shooter and tough ambassador, and lent his hand to train the upper class of officials and gym leaders.

          He is still very bitter about his ouster. He's also a vain, arrogant man, naturally. Seeing weak trainers causes his blood to boil- not weak in battle, but weak in their bonds with their Pokémon. He thinks the two are directly related. His view of strength has evolved. One can ONLY become strong when both trainer and Pokémon are strongly bonded.

          That is why, when he faced Jasmine, he showed her contempt. Her poor performance, along with other factors such as her being in K-block, Graveler not obeying her, and her stuttering, lackadaisical attitude, convinced him that she was a bad trainer to her Pokémon- instead of the truth in that she was having a terrible day. When Steelix managed to redeem itself by landing a blow on Dragonite, and subsequently causing Lance to lose to Lt. Surge, he was forced to rethink his attitude towards Jasmine. He subsequently asked that she be put on probation, as well as a number of other trainers in that block who he had previously failed. He is now secretly tracking the progress of the trainers via reports and spies, to see what he can learn about the connection between strength and bonds.

          He's in a state of soul-searching at the moment. He doesn't understand why the world is giving him such a hard time when he believes his ideals are true and just: treating Pokémon with trust is the key to strength. Trying to force that view onto people isn't a good idea but he tried anyways.

          People follow him because he is assertive and strong, but in the end he isn't all that wise. He's dealing with emotional stress, hobbled by pride, ego, and self-righteousness.

          Timeline- He probably would have confronted Silver during his tenure as the League CEO- very early, around late 2005/early 2006.

When he met Silver, his view that Pokémon were better off without humans and vice versa was in full effect- since few humans could form strong enough bonds to offset their inherent conflict (of course he included himself as one of the privileged). He berated Silver for being abusive and told him to basically let go of his Pokémon, because he shouldn't be dragging them into his own personal feud.

          Lance and Steven, Silver and Red, all have the same basic viewpoint: Pokémon are good. Let's learn to trust and love Pokémon. The difference is their viewpoint towards humanity. Silver and Lance: humans are evil bastards. Red and Stone: humans are good. Because of this mismatch, the pairs proceed on two paths for how they believe Pokémon-Human relationships should be established. Their common enemy is the Establishment- the International Regulatory Body on Pokémon Affairs, a group created by the International Council (U.N. stand-in). Many governments have always been suspicious of Pokémon ownership - it gives power to the people and makes them more independent and less reliant on large institutions like corporations or governments- and so they use the IRBPA to try to restrict ownership as much as possible.

          Lance and Stone are essentially in disagreement as to how to combat IRBPA influence. Gabriel Brach is one of the foremost proponents of IRBPA (informally known as Irby).

          To sum up the various ideologies:

Mutualists-

Humans: Good; Pokémon: Good

Stone, Red

Separatists-

Humans: Bad; Pokémon: Good

Lance, N

Primacists-

Humans: Good; Pokémon: Bad

Brach, Irby

Nihilists-

Humans: Bad; Pokemon: Bad

Silver

          Final note: Lance’s surname is Cross. In keeping with Olivine convention, characters use their English name as their first name, and Japanese name as their family name. Lance’s Japanese name is Wataru; however, I personally did not think Lance Wataru sounded that great. Wataru is a Japanese given name with origins in the verb “To Cross”, i.e. to cross a bridge. I thought Cross sounded good, and also evoked imagery of religious fervor, which suits a ideological diehard like Lance.


	10. Chronology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A timeline of events related to the Olivine Romance series. I will try to update it as new information comes to light.

A timeline for the Olivine Romance series.

 

1990 November 20 – Jasmine is born at Olivine General Hospital

1998 January 12 – Jasmine befriends Amphy.

1999 September 24 - Volkner and Flint befriend Gill.

2000 November 20 – Jasmine receives her first Pokemon, Voltorb, as a birthday gift.

2001 June 8 – Jasmine catches Geodude and Onix.

2001 July 10 – Jasmine receives Magnemite as a gift.

2003 May 5 – Team Rocket takeover of Silph Co.

2003 May 19 – Team Rocket attempts to overthrow Pokemon League in Indigo Plateau.

2003 October 5 – Jasmine’s family moves to Ecruteak, Jasmine attends middle school, meets Morty.

2003 October 20 – Jasmine meets Whitney, become friends.

2004 June 7 – Castelia World Championship tragedy.

2005 June 2 – Jasmine finishes middle school, family moves back to Olivine.

2005 December 23 – Jasmine becomes Amphy’s caretaker.

2006 January 9 – Jasmine becomes Interim Gym Leader of Olivine City Gym, becomes known as Rock type specialist.

2006 March 20 - Gill is assaulted by Beanie.

2006 April 23 to May 30 – “The Lighthouse Incident”, events that irrevocably change Jasmine’s character occur.

2006 June 5 - Gill commits suicide. Volkner discovers the body.

2006 August 27 – Jasmine meets Erika while attending Gym Leader Summit in Celadon City.

2006 September 9 – Events of “ **Transmutation** ” occur: Silver is captured and escapes, Team Rocket boss Giovanni goes missing.

2006 October 18 – Jasmine evolves Onix into Steelix, becomes Steel type specialist.

2007 July 5 to August 20 – Jasmine stays with Erika and learns about Gym Leadership. Events of “ **Things I Can Never Say** ” occur.

2008 May 4 to 8 - Whitney and Maylene meet at Gym Leader Summit, held in Evergrande, Hoenn. Whitney's boyfriend Brawley falls for Maylene, in a subsequent Pokémon battle and dating duel, Maylene wins Brawley away from Whitney.

2008 July 19 - Tobias Takuto Wolfram wins Pokémon League Global Tournament, becomes the Pokémon World Champion.

2009 March 26 to 29 – Jasmine meets Morty at Indigo Plateau while earning her Gym Leader credentials, he plays a cruel prank that preys on Jasmine's sexual insecurity, destroying her interest in men. Events of “ **Succession** ” occur.

2009 April 6 – Jasmine takes full ownership of Olivine City Gym. Earns reputation as the “Full Metal Gym Leader”, as much for her stubbornness as for her type specialty.

2011 October 14 - Events of **"Path of Least Resistance"** occur.

2012 January 15 – Lyra becomes Johto League Tournament Champion.

2012 February 19 – Ethan becomes Kanto League Tournament Champion.

2012 March 2 – Ethan is defeated by Green in Championship title match.

2012 March 20 – Lyra, Silver, Ethan, Green, Blue hike up Mt. Silver to retrieve Red at behest of Professor Oak (himself working at Steven Stone’s request).

2012 May 29 – Red wins Pokemon League Global Tournament, becomes the Pokemon World Champion.

2012 April 26 to September 5 - Lyra begins touring Johto and dating Ethan. Erika visits Olivine. Whitney bounces between Olivine, Goldenrod, and Cianwood. The four girls form a group in advance of the Gym Leader summit.

2012 September 11- Jasmine meets Volkner at the Battle Tower.

 

* * *

 

2012 September 13 – Gym Leader Summit starts. Jasmine rejects Volkner. “ **Olivine Romance** ” begins.

2012 September 20 – Events of “ **Haunted** ” occur.

2012 September 28 to 30 – Skarmory expedition to Blackthorn.

2012 October 5 – Jasmine trades Graveler for Piplup, a.k.a. “Tyko”.

2012 October 7 – Picnic with Morty.

2012 October 9 to 11 – Volkner arrives in Olivine to fix gym shield generator.

2012 October 15 – Tyko runs amok in gym.

2012 October 16 – Double evolution.

2012 October 21 – Spectra is introduced to Amphy.

2012 October 22 – Jasmine and Morty’s first kiss.

2012 October 31 – Halloween party.

2012 November 1 – Jasmine and Silver battle. Whitney and Red battle.

2012 November 10 – Catered party, Jasmine meets Jade.

2012 November 19 – Jasmine battles Warren.

2012 November 20 – Jasmine’s birthday party, Jasmine resolves to have sex with Morty only to find him having sex with another woman.

2012 November 21 – Jasmine learns the truth from Morty and Erika; Morty is engaged to Phoebe, was only seducing Jasmine in order to draw her out of her shell, all at the behest of Erika, who harbors a crush on Jasmine and wants to see her happy regardless of who she ends up with.

2012 November 24 – Jasmine calls Whitney.

2012 December 5 – Jasmine resolves to fly to Sunyshore and meet with Volkner.

2012 December 6 - Jasmine is rejected by Volkner. Events of **"Morty versus Red"** occur.

2012 December 7 - Jasmine is confronted by Mr. Preston. Morty messages her that Red is coming.

2012 December 10 – Jasmine's probation ends - she faces Red and learns his real name.


	11. Pokemon Journey

As human societies form and grow, they develop the means to survive within their environment. From those means come conventions, which evolve into traditions, which accumulate to create culture. Among all traditions, the most vital, the very basis of “tradition” itself, is the one of “passage”, for this is the mechanism by which values are handed down from one generation to the next.

For those living on the Pokemon Earth, the fundamental cultural value is the human relationship with Pokemon- one of human mastery, but tempered by respect and responsibility. The fundamental tradition, therefore, is to teach adolescents the proper respect for the creatures that they will eventually control and care for.

In many regions throughout the world, there also exists a strong desire to teach youth the value of independence and self-discovery. It is thought that exploring the wider world is valuable for giving the young adults important context about the society they are about to enter. Thus, a tradition has arisen all over the world: The Pokemon Journey.

Pokemon Journeys have their roots in rites predating written history. Skeletons of young adults and young Pokemon resting side-by-side in caves have been found, bearing relics of distant hometowns. Carbon dating shows these remains to be at least 4,000 years old. The original purpose of the Journey is theorized to be a typical mammalian mating pattern- males splintering from their birth tribe to travel afar in search of new mating opportunities. It must have gradually evolved to include both sexes, and also incorporate aspects of competition and diplomacy- one legend recounts a narrowly-averted war, where the prince of a kingdom was sent as a representative to settle the dispute in single combat, fought via monster proxy (the same legend is also considered the first account of an officiated Pokemon Battle). By year 1940, when the first Pokeballs began circulating, the Pokemon Journey was codified in regional cultures as a symbol of freedom for their citizens and a testament to their region's peacefulness and security.

Children are eligible for their Pokemon License at age 10. Of course, by that age many children already have family Pokemon to play with and perhaps engage in mock battles. However, the License opens up new possibilities. They are allowed access to the National Pokemon PC Network. They may carry Pokemon abroad without adult supervision. They may challenge other trainers to official League-sanctioned Pokemon battles and other contests. Most importantly, they may own Pokemon in their own right, without parental consent (somewhat… a tricky legal issue, akin to juvenile privacy issues).

By age 14, youth are considered to have enough sense and maturity to begin exploring the world without direct adult supervision. They also are expected to have developed some mastery and loyalty with their Pokemon. With Pokemon as their escorts, they are sent out into the world to explore, learn, compete, and gain an appreciation for places that are not their own. The Pokemon Challenge, typically a call to defeat the eight Gym Leaders of a region and thus gain access to the regional Elite Four and/or Championship Tournament, is a sly ruse to engage the kids and direct them with a goal. Although most do no not finish this challenge, nearly all young adults deeply appreciate their journey and hold dear memories of their time wandering the world with their partners. It is considered a rite of passage.

The typical time for a Pokemon Journey is the summer break between middle and high school. This is not a universal requirement, however, and may be moved up or delayed depending on circumstances. Less mature or more insecure children may put off their journey, a large minority never venture out at all. Some teenagers will embark on multiple journeys over the course of their high school life. A very rare few do not return- they continue their journey, either exhausting the challenges of their native region or moving on to new regions. These latter are the elite- the next crop of professional Pokemon trainers. The protagonists of each mainline Pokemon game would fall into this category; Red in particular was noted for his meteoric growth as a trainer, winning his first Regional Tournament at the age of 16, and first World Championship at age 24- fourth youngest and absolute youngest to earn those respective achievements.

In order to ensure the primary education of those who skip school to continue their journey, a system of remote schooling has been developed. They make use of Pokemon Centers as testing centers, online courses delivered through Pokedexes and other mobile devices, and seminars taught by Pokemon professors. There is considerable debate as to whether the experience gained by traveling, working, and competing compensates for the patently inferior academics of the remote schooling method, although opponents of the method have made little headway. Most trainers who take this route are able to find employment in Pokemon fields- if not as professional battlers, than as organizers, League officials, Pokemon handlers, researchers, or other Pokemon-related professions.

The Pokemon Journey is not universal to every region. Some regions simply do not promote Pokemon ownership, others do not value the passage rite in the first place. The prime factor differentiating pro-Journey and non-Journey regions is security. Regions that hold Journeys are historically peaceful places with low crime rates and strong traditions of civil responsibility. To ensure safety for the traveling youth, a number of safeguards have been put into place. Children are strongly encouraged to stick to Routes, predetermined paths of travel between cities. These routes often go through wilderness areas, paralleling major highways but not directly bordering them (due to fears of traffic fatalities). This has a bonus of leading children through areas densely populated by a variety of wild Pokemon, increasing their capturing and battling opportunities. A network of Bird-Pokemon surveillance is set up to monitor the routes, alerting authorities of any disturbances. Pokemon Rangers patrol the routes and beyond, ensuring any overtly dangerous wild Pokemon are contained and managed. Route Patrol Officers ensure safety from human predators, bandits and the like. Route Land Management is responsible for ensuring the pathways are clear and traversable- even the obstacles youth encounter on the routes have been crafted by staff to be navigable, with a little bit of effort, and non-hazardous. An example might be a chasm with only a narrow log that must be crossed. However, at the bottom of the chasm is a deep pile of leaves and plant detritus, averting the risk of falling and landing. Similar care is put into selected landmarks to ensure fun explorability while retaining safety, such as the caves beneath Mt. Mortar. Even the open ocean routes are lined with sensor buoys and roaming life guard Pokemon. However, certain areas are off limits to children, and only available to adults. This includes Mt. Silver, the Celadon Cave, and Hatchet Hill, where Jasmine caught her Skarmory.

Pokemon Centers are the multi-purpose complexes jointly operated by local governments and the Pokemon League. They house classrooms and testing centers, both for business–oriented certifications and the remote schooling mentioned above. They all have hostel-like accommodation for youth with extra security. The security is for discouraging predators and ensuring civility between the children (fights are not common, but a big concern is keeping the boys from bothering the girls- not all facilities are large enough to keep separate accommodations for genders). Bathrooms are included, bathing is highly encouraged- kids coming in from the wilderness are fairly notorious for their… aroma. Centers also contain all of the necessary and useful functions to aid Pokemon ownership. They have full medical facilities and faculty for everyday wear and injury, although serious injuries (such as Skarm Skarm’s broken wings) are sent to specialized Pokemon hospitals in big cities. PC’s handle Pokemon storage, long-distance transport, item storage, communications, and stat checks. Registration of caught Pokemon, Pokemon ownership trades, and Pokemon License Applications all happen here, as well as hundreds of other mundane bureaucratic functions. Some centers contain cafeterias and small stores for essential supplies. The most luxurious have tourist attractions, full-fledged hotels, resort facilities, shopping centers, and the like. Most centers have nearby attractions for trainers, whether it’s a Contest Hall, Battle Court, or Pokemon Safari Zone. By law, Pokemon Gyms must be located within four miles of a Center, to ensure timely care in case of a serious injury in the course of a battle. Pokemon Centers are naturally the hub for journeying youth, a place for them to relax, sleep, prepare for Gym challenges, heal their Pokemon, and meet others like them. On the flipside, they serve as a way for the League to monitor the youth, make sure they are accounted for and behaving, and for parents to keep tabs on their children.

Funding for the entire system is extremely expensive. It is an ode to the value of the Journey that the public is willing to pay for the extensive support network that is involved. Funding comes from public taxes, subsidiaries from the Pokemon League, private donations, and business fees (all corporate businesses wishing to use Pokemon as labor must pay various fees). Finances can be contentious and has led to at least two regions shutting down their entire Journey-support network.

A journey is often the youth-defining period of a person’s life. They capture Pokemon and become friends and masters over them. While six is not the technical limit to have on one’s person, most trainers assume this because battles are limited to six per side, and when a seventh Pokemon is caught, it is automatically zapped away to the PC by a satellite digitization system. Some trainers try to capture as many Pokemon as possible (this is a disturbing trend that is stressing both PC networks and wildlife ecosystems). Most stop at six, and concentrate on one-to-three creatures as their core partners. It’s also common to travel with other youth, sometimes childhood friends, other times strangers met on the road. Skills necessary to survive (cooking, pitching tents, finding supplies, interacting with strangers, finding one’s way in unfamiliar settings, navigating bureaucratic systems, etc.) are either taught before-hand, or picked up on the way by necessity. Friends and rivals made on the trail are often carried over into adult life. Networking is encouraged. The “Journey Romance”, i.e. a first taste of love, is a common fictional trope in this world, and one not without ample basis in reality. It’s also common for teenagers to discover a profession, city, or community on their journey that inspires them, and to which they will later return and join as adults. Others have their fill of the world and decide to settle into a comfortable existence in their hometown, although few will admit they regretted their adventure.

Challenging the Gyms is a natural assumption on a journey. When Gym Leaders are expected to maintain a certain absolute win ratio, meaning a single defeat will wipe out any numbers of victories against a given challenger, it is with the expectation that they will be facing a large number of young, inexperienced Pokemon trainers. A slight majority (51.5%) of 18-and-under win only a single Gym Badge. Less than 2% win all eight. Some popular tales tell of children desperately striving to gain their first victory over a Gym Leader before they are forced to return home. Certain regions are more favorable, their Gym Leaders are expected to adjust their Pokemon team/strategy to account for the opponent’s progress- e.g. Brock might face a 0-badge 14-year-old with Geodude and a tactically-gimped Onix, whereas a 7-badge, 24-year-old, multi-regional campaigner might be met with Aggron, Golem, Kabutops, Sudowoodo, Rhydon, and an Eviolite-boosted, unrestrained Onix. Kanto experimented with this system for three years, before discarding it due to stress on Gym Leaders. Red’s Gym Leader Challenge happened during this period, and his meteoric rise perhaps benefited from it, although every Gym Leader to face him noted he fought with skill two or three badges above his current record. Kalos uses this system currently. Unova is notorious for doing the exact opposite and maintaining a culture of crushing every opponent, regardless of youth or inexperience. Johto has no restrictions or guidelines.

A Journey, if successful, ends at the Pokemon League. By earning eight badges, this gives the young trainer the right to challenge for the League Title. Different regions have different endgames. Johto holds yearly single-elimination tournaments, usually in late winter or early spring (i.e., during the week of school children’s Spring Break), to give trainers a few months to prepare after the summer journey season. A victory at the tournament makes that person eligible for an Elite Four Challenge. Conquering that entitles that person to a champion bout against the Reigning Champion, and a victory there will make that person the new Reigning Champion, considered the highest and most prestigious position in the whole region. Kanto is similar, although its Elite Four and Regional Tournament are reversed, victory at the Four is required to enter the tournament (because Kanto and Johto share an Elite Four, this has caused debate between the two regions, and whether one path or the other is harder/more unfair). However, it is rare for an under-aged trainer on their Journey to make it to the tournament. Typically, only the most skilled "prodigies" who skip school make it, or else, aspirants return after they graduate high school to complete their Gym Leader Challenge.

Jasmine never went on a Pokemon Journey of her own. Her parents disallowed it. Instead, Jasmine took a rarer approach- apprenticeship at a Pokemon Gym. Applying to a position at a Pokemon Gym is actually considered harder than going on a journey- there are more battles and less opportunities to capture strong Pokemon. There are actual requirements and competitive standards that must be met. Competition is stiffer- Gym Trainers often have to take on adults, or worse, professional trainers, as well as other children. The work is far, far more taxing, and much less freedom given. There are a limited number of positions- a Gym Leader does not always accept anyone to work under them, and has limited funds to pay them with, while anyone can go on a state-sponsored Pokemon Journey. Finally, because of what is expected of them, Gym Trainers are considered a step above regular trainers. Unable to go on her journey, but having a family connection to the late Captain Beret (former Gym Leader of Olivine City), Jasmine put in the work and showed enough promise to earn the old man’s admiration. She was appointed acting Gym Leader upon his recusal, and full Gym Leader upon her age of majority and subsequent qualification. This procession is fairly common and remains a viable alternative for those who cannot or do not want to travel afar but still want to pursue a quintessential Pokemon adventure. Erika came by her position in a similar manner, as did Whitney, Sabrina, Brock, and Misty (others inherit the position based on their family connections- Jade, Falkner, Janine).

Others substitute a typical journey for an apprenticeship, which serves the same function of building character and providing worldly perspective. Examples are Ranger Schools, Contests circuits, and Pokesports. Another common practice is go on a journey, but not concentrate on Pokemon- focusing instead on other endeavors like community service, pre-military youth regiments, athletic challenges, hobby associations (ghost-hunting, psychic powers, artists, acting, etc).

When looking over regions that lack this quintessential rite of passage (Orre, for example),all too many are lawless abodes with crime, poverty, war, and societal dysfunction. Regions that do hold the ritual of the “Pokemon Journey” think of themselves as civilized, cultured, classical, and upholding a standard. They believe the system provides value that keeps their society functioning, and that the benefits far outweigh the criticisms of sending out children out into the world without close supervision. Perhaps more than any tangible benefit, it is the nostalgia of parents for their own Journey that prompts them to send their own children into the world, to face and "vanquish" the monsters called "Pokemon".


	12. Flygon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A full debriefing on my favorite Pokemon, Flygon!

Awkward, graceful, elegant, ugly, tough and durable, endearing, intimidating, lethal- a thunderous earthquake roaring through the air meting out destruction from above. Yes, meet the A-10 of the Pokemon universe: Flygon.

Like the tank-busting aircraft, Flygon is a dedicated ground-assault specialist that operates in the roughest and most hostile environments. It can provide close-air-support to its allies in open field combat, or become a robust, durable, and agile offensive presence in arena competition. Delivering the powerful Earthquake and Outrage attacks from an aerial platform while maintaining both speed and survivability is one of the hallmarks of the Flygon species that few other Pokemon can match.

Flygon have a body well adapted for desert environments. Their hide is smooth and aerodynamic, their wings are leathery, lean, and made up of musculature that allows them both power and a degree of prehensile motion. The large sails are functional for both gliding and for tight-spaced maneuverability. They are also useful for temperature regulation by means of heat dissipation. Flygon’s torso and tail are optimized for aerodynamic flight.

Internally, they have a unique respiratory system. It functions as a normal mammalian-esque inflow-outflow governed by a diaphragm under normal conditions. However, while under extreme stress, mainly during high speed flight, the structure of the lungs rearrange, creating a one-way airflow. Passages open up linking the lungs to cavities within the wings and tail. One-way valves within these cavities open to external air. While flying at high velocities, fresh, oxygen-rich air is forced into the lungs at high speed and density, passing over alveoli there and continuing on to the secondary “lungs” inside the wings and tail, which drain the air of any remaining oxygen and exchange carbon dioxide. The carbon-dioxide-rich air is then passed out of the body through the exterior openings. In this way Flygon are able to deliver a vast amount of oxygen directly to their wing muscles without exerting any additional effort to pass waste gas out of their mouth. In effect, they intake breathe not with their diaphragm but with their wings. The entire system somewhat resembles a scramjet engine. In addition to the oxygen efficiency, it is also responsible for conserving water, as it is effective at venting waste heat and little moisture is loss in exhalation.

Flygon have naturally tough hides and flexible bones, good for absorbing sudden shocks associated with high-impact collisions, such as when Flygon dive-bomb prey or burrow into the sand. Unlike many Ground types they do not have a natural immunity to Electric-attacks while airborne, merely resistance. In order to completely negate the effects of Electric attacks they must remain grounded. Some Flygon have learned to use their tail as a grounding wire while still flying or hovering above the air, thus maintaining aerial maneuverability and Electric immunity simultaneously. Their senses of vision and hearing are well-developed and exceed humans’. It is said a Flygon can spot a penny laying in the sand from one mile away. The red cover over their eye serves three purposes: it protects from sand, filters strong UV light, and refracts light, giving Flygon a wider field of view. Their sense of smell is very poor, as such they cannot even tell the difference between a Skuntank’s effluence and a perfume.

Flygon are rarely encountered in the wild. They prefer arid spaces with vast tracts of sand adjoining high ridges, buttes, and other elevated features. Their habit of hiding in sandstorms, flying at high altitudes for long periods, roosting on mountain tops, and inhabiting remote wastelands deters sightings. Furthermore, Flygon represent a small percentage of the total Trapinch-Vibrava-Flygon family population. This is because of their species’ social structure:

Trapinch exist in a two-tier hierarchy, scientifically known as Dominari and Reciproci, also called Peasants and Nobles in Kalos, or Minors and Majors in Hoenn. The lower caste of Trapinch are numerous and able to breed with other Trapinch without further evolution. The upper caste of Trapinch are far less numerous. These Majors/Nobles are groomed from birth by adult Flygons to give them an optimal path towards evolution. This is done by several methods- Flygon steer natural prey towards the preferred Trapinch and away from lesser Trapinch; the opposite is done with natural predators, with greater threats being guided to the dens of Minors to harass or kill them, while lesser threats are driven to the sandpits of Majors to give them manageable battles with which to gain experience and store potentiating energy. If all else fails, Flygons will actively intervene to nurture Majors who lag behind and assault Minors who show too much growth. Trapinch may be killed, and the lucky Minors who survive to become Vibrava are often driven away from the territory, which is also often fatal due to Vibrava’s vulnerability and ill-adaption to foreign environments (they cannot scavenge for food effectively). Flygon typically designate their own offspring as Majors, but in rare cases will also promote Minor-born offspring to Major status as well.

Flygon are territorial, both against other major predatory Pokemon species and towards each other. Their territory is typically determined not by area but by density of the Trapinch population- one Flygon pair lords over a colony of about 1500 Trapinch. Flygon are monogamous, mate for life, and a mating pair will share the same territory- however, they are known to be introverted creatures that do not spend a great deal of time around their mate except during the coldest months of the year, when females are pregnant and rely on their mate to provide sustenance. How Flygons choose mates and their mating rituals are not wholly known. Aerial dances have been observed, although these dances are also seen between same-sex rivals and between siblings, suggesting an adversarial, not romantic, purpose. Domesticated Flygon quickly adopt the habits and mannerisms of their trainers, and thus mating rituals between them reflect human behavior more closely than their wild counterparts.

On top of being rare due to breeding patterns, wild Flygon are difficult to spot because of their behavior. They are shy, solitary, and constantly on the move. They prefer traveling through heavy sandstorms, and if not present, will create light sandstorms to shield their movements. Their wing beats create a high-pitch sound that when listened to during their aerial dancing maneuvers, resemble song-like notes. It is known that Flygon will use these notes to communicate with one another over short distances. They will also use Dragon Breath and aerial flight patterns to communicate over long distances, and in some areas have even developed a form of writing, via long, intricate trench patterns dug into the sand, to send simple messages to other Flygon.

Their normal daily routine consists of flying wide patrols at high altitude over their territory, looking for prey and keeping an eye on their Trapinch colonies. Having ample amounts of both caution and curiosity, they will investigate anything out of the ordinary they come upon. In all cases their approach is the same- a stealthy, ground-hugging dive at high speed. If prey or a disobedient Trapinch, they will attack. If something else, they will perform a flash reconnaissance and then quickly retreat.

Their attacks are delivered in lightning fashion as they pass by the target, often a Dragon Claw, Dragon Rush, or Bulldoze. Earthquake is not favored by wild Flygon, if they even know it, because the delivery leaves them grounded and vulnerable. Flygon do not have many known natural predators, but even still they remain wary of threats overtaking them. For this reason they prefer to roost and nest at high altitudes. One purported reason for their caution could be unconfirmed reports of uprisings within the Trapinch population: colonies of dissident Minors working together to lure their Flygon overlord into a trap and depose it.

Flygon come in several forms. The dominant one known throughout the world is the green-banded Desert form, which makes up more than 95% of the total population. Smaller populations exist that have adapted to other environments: Swamp form Flygon, Mountain form Flygon, and Prairie form Flygon. The differences between each form are minor and mostly internal adaptions for different temperature ranges. They can be told apart by their coloration- Swamp form have blue trim instead of red on their sails, Mountain form are brown and black, and Prairie form are tan and brown with green trim. They all retain their Ground-Dragon typing, although the Swamp form has the Storm Drain ability and is less adept at flight than the others. As well as being the most populous, Desert form are also the strongest and most prevalent in trainer battles.

As stated, Flygon are intelligent and curious Pokemon, traits that are amplified when caught and domesticated. They quickly adopt human habits and adapt to human environments with ease. They are amicable to humans and can bond with most kinds of people, although success is also dependent on individual compatibility. Because of their curious/cautious nature and the resulting odd approach when encountering new things, most Flygon appear to have a Quirky Nature, although this is a consequence of their species neurology and not necessarily indicative of their individual Nature.

They eat exclusively Pokemon meat in the wild but can be coaxed into an omnivorous or even vegetarian diet once captured. Flygon do best in very flat or very mountainous areas, or in urban areas with heavy concentrations of tall buildings. Forests are difficult for them, as are oceans, as they cannot effectively swim. Swamps are disliked by non-swamp varieties and cold environments are dangerous to all but the mountain variety.

Their hierarchical attitude carries over into domestication. Flygon that were caught as wild Flygon or Vibrava, or who belonged to the Major caste, will lord over domesticated Trapinch and act arrogant towards them. They will only show respect in rare cases, or when the Trapinch are close family members, direct offspring or nieces and nephews. Even Trapinch of the Major caste will be treated this way, as domesticated Flygon lose the ability to distinguish between the two types of Trapinch (one theory holds that the distinguishment is arbitrarily assigned by the Flygon upon their own colony, and thus they cannot differentiate another colony’s Trapinch, or a collection of human-owned Trapinch).

Flygon who were caught as Minor Trapinch have far more conciliatory attitudes towards their lower evolutions. They treat every one as if they were their own children, often going out of their way to nurture, feed, protect, teach and inspire the Trapinch. They will treat other Pokemon as equals and are more prone to establish close platonic friendships with other Flygon. Because most humans capture Trapinch and evolve them to Flygon, this has given them a stereotype as a loving, doting parental Pokemon, even though such behavior is not normal in the wild.

When used for battle, Flygon are able partners. Ones evolved from Trapinch are quick studies and adaptable to a wide-range of conditions, including learning an excellent variety of TMs and tutored attacks. They excel at defense, utility, and special attacks. Major caste Trapinch are less flexible in their training, as are wild-captured Flygon, and will refuse to learn new attacks or tactics as readily. On the other hand, they do tend to be more physically gifted and have higher ceilings on their brute strength and speed. In very rare cases, a trainer may find and capture a wild Vibrava while it is seeking out new territory- these combine the best of both styles, often featuring excellent natural physicality while still being tactically malleable (such malleability does not extend to their personality, unfortunately, and they will display the haughtiness of their Major counterparts).

They are internationally renowned for their ultra-precise Earthquake delivery: no other Pokemon can combine their accuracy, speed, and power. Their ability to dive onto a target and deliver a point-blank Earthquake, with the target at the exact epicenter, makes for a devastating offensive attack. There are Pokemon with more raw power than Flygon who use Earthquake, but all rely on hitting the opponent from a distance, weakening the effect. Flygon’s delivery is unique (save for possibly the legendary Landorus, of which only one is in captivity), and has made a place for it in many hyper-offense teams. However, a notable drawback is that the energy of a Flygon’s Earthquake is directed downwards. It can penetrate deep into the ground, but its lateral reach is lacking. The damage is halved at 6 feet, and falls to nothing within a mere 20 feet. For context, the max area of effect for a Dugtrio’s Earthquake is 120 feet. A Flygon missing the mark on its dive is left exposed to a counter-attack.

When this powerful Earthquake attack is not sufficient, Flygon turns to other tools in its arsenal: Dragon Claw, Rock Slide, Sandstorm, Earth Power, Uproar, Hyper Beam, Boom Burst, Sand Tomb, Sonic Boom, and Feint Attack. Through tutoring and TMs, it also has access to a vast array of attacks, some not typical for its archetype: Giga Drain and Flamethrower (nasty counters to many of Flygon’s natural counters), U-Turn for quick retreats, Roost for recovery, Solar Beam, Hyper Beam, Superpower, Thunder Punch, Draco Meteor, Iron Tail, Aerial Ace, Hone Claw, Stone Edge, and Fly. Sadly, its one deficit is in stat-boosting abilities, as unlike many of its fellow Dragon-types, it lacks Dragon Dance. The swamp form has Quiver Dance, but its rarity and lack of speed and aerial maneuverability has made it a niche fighter.

A common tactic is to equip Flygon with a Choice Band or Choice Scarf, in order to utilize its precision Earthquake strike to the fullest. Scarf variants also commonly abuse U-turn to scout opponents and maintain momentum. Other trainers prefer to use Flygon’s capable arsenal as an all-around counter. These variants are difficult to predict and despised by professional battlers for their tendency to be gimmicky.

Unlike many others in the “fast aerial assault” role, such as Salamence, Staraptor, Braviary, Gliscor, Noivern, Crobat, etc., Flygon has significant defenses and can endure some of the harshest weather conditions and most rugged terrains. Although others can outrace and outmaneuver Flygon in the open air, Flygon will do better when close to the ground and amongst elevations. That’s because, while Flygon’s counterparts must make precise, difficult turns to avoid collision with terrain objects, Flygon’s toughness allows it to simple run into them and bounce off of them, maintaining momentum. Aerial dogfights with this Pokemon tend to be drawn earthwards and get messy. Their virtual immunity to field hazards, such as Stealth Rocks, Sticky Web, and Toxic Spikes, is a great bonus.

Unfortunately for Flygon, the Pokemon has two serious drawbacks:

Firstly, it does retain the dreaded double weakness to Ice rampant across the Dragon type. Bulky Waters with access to Ice Beam are a solid counter to which Flygon has little recourse.

Secondly, Garchomp exists.

Although rare and difficult to train, Garchomps can fulfill Flygon’s role as a precision Earthquake delivery system, and are better at it in virtually every way. The pseudo-legendary boasts more strength, even more defense, better reflexes, and higher agility (while on the ground), as well access to Sword Dance, a mighty power boost. In addition, it is universally understood that Flygon’s Dragon type attacks are a little underpowered, relying on speed over sheer strength, while Garchomp’s boasts the fastest and second-most powerful Outrage (outside of rare, banned legendaries). When comparing Dragon type assaults, Flygon’s is considered fast and precise, but lacking punch, reach, and technical prowess, all things Garchomp excels at. Because of this, Flygon is not popular among those elite trainers who have access to Garchomp.

Notable trainers who have used Flygon are Drake from the Hoenn Elite Four, Castor Region Champion Cody, Dragon Master Lance Cross, and former world champion Juan Mercurio Diaz (“El Don”).

Besides battling, Flygon are popular mounts for aerial races and as express package delivery providers. They are considered medium weight-class Pokeathletes and given an average evaluation of 3/4 Speed, 3/5 Power, 3/4 Skill, 2/2 Stamina, and 5/5 Jump. Flygon have collected eighteen total medals in the Pokeathlon Olympics, with four golds. Not impressive, but better than their competitive battling record (zero appearances in a World Championship bout, only one appearance in semi-finals and three in quarter-final matches).

Desertification has endangered some Flygon populations. As inner deserts become too dry to sustain prey populations, Trapinch colonies are forced farther towards the fringe-terrain, where they meet greater competition for food and land. Fortunately, this seems to be offset by warming trends in the subarctic mountainous regions, opening more terrain to Mountain form Flygon. The overall world population remains stable, with slight growth, mostly attributable to increases in domesticated populations congruent with the worldwide domesticated growth trend.


	13. Olivine Canon Self-critique: Side-stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Self-analysis of the Olivine Canon side stories.

This will be a work of self-criticism and analysis applied to my own works.

“I am my own worse critic”. Whoever says this is a liar. There will always be someone who will hate your work more than you do, and will be far more apt to find fault and flaw in it than you do. I don’t pretend to be the harshest or smartest reviewer of my own writing. I do, however, have a unique position inherent to all authors- we understand the intent of the work and the process that went into creating it.

First, to address the non-story:

 **The Pokemon World**.

          I’ve received a lot of positive feedback about this, which I expected and feel validated hearing. The idea was not to create a new story, but a supplementary compendium of knowledge and trivia for the rest of the Olivine Canon. Taking something as indefinite as the Pokemon universe, filling in the gaps and fleshing out the numerous systems, characters, societies, etc, to make it more realistic and fit the scope of a personal epic like Olivine Romance takes a lot of work. This way the reader gets a better understanding of all that world-building that underlies Olivine, without having the information overload interfere with the flow of Olivine’s narrative.

          My one concern is that I don’t want to make reading The Pokemon World mandatory to understanding Olivine. Occasionally, this means pushing some of the infodump into Olivine proper. It can’t be helped, the best I can do is balance the infodump and present it as efficiently as possible, making sure only the relevant or most interesting bits are shared.

          I wish I could dedicate more time to individual Pokedex entries. While I did manage an in-depth entry for Flygon, it is harder for me to apply the same creative vigor for Pokemon who are not my personal favorites.

 

* * *

 

**In the Lair of the Dragon**

          A smutfic, plain and simple. Its purpose was titillation, and I think it achieved that. I’m glad to have been able to attach a non-trivial plot to the erotica, at least, and also glad to have learned some lessons about writing smut:

          First, sex is really hard to write about, and even harder to write well.

          Second, it’s harder to get aroused by erotica written by yourself. It seems counter-intuitive, but it’s true.

          Third, in the future I should pick my own pairings. Drasna/Calem is not one of my favored ships.

 

* * *

 

**Morty versus Red**

          A simple battle scene. This was something I wanted to show in Olivine Romance, but because OR is tied to Jasmine’s perspective and Red’s arrival in Olivine is supposed to be a surprise (never mind the subsequent surprise of his identity), it couldn’t be included there. Also, it again shows Red’s acumen in Pokemon battles and hints at some of his battling secrets.

 

* * *

 

**Haunted**

          A simple one-shot between Morty and his fiancé Phoebe.

          Morty is supposed to be a major character in Olivine, but I haven’t had a good opportunity to show his story arc or thoughts. Even these two one-shots from his perspective don’t fully encapsulate his personality and thought processes like the other side-character stories.

          I really wanted to give a sense of twilight in the imagery used here. How it’s still barely daytime when it starts, but the sun is setting and has gone completely dark by the end of the conversation.

 

* * *

 

**Succession**

          Stone is my favorite character to write, bar-none, even above Jasmine. There is nothing like living out my own pompous, asshole-with-a-god-complex fantasy. Even though Stone can be shown to be benevolent and loving with his power, he is never humble about it and there’s maybe a question if he would be this nice if he didn’t have power and had to actually sacrifice something for it.

          That feeds into the theme of the story: sacrifice. It’s telling, I think, that the story ends without resolving anything and Stone still wavering between two difficult choices. True to his character, he concocts a third option he hopes will alleviate every issue without forcing him to sacrifice anything.

          The worst part of the story is the jarring divide between the first and second half. The first chapters deal with the mundane, slice-of-life escapades of a powerful CEO set in the Pokemon world. This could be fascinating for people who enjoy the trivia of my created work, but I suspect it’s boring for the rest. It tries too much to set the framework of the story arc, and by the time the conflict actually gets going, the story is already half-over. It’s not even that funny.

          The second half isn’t a proper story, either, more like a collection of one-shots set one after another. The subject matter and mood get very serious very fast, and while it’s effective showing Stone’s past and attitude, it might be trying too hard to be tragic or dramatic. I did like the final chapter, as I feel I did a good job showing the interaction between Stone and his wife Cynthia well, and I wanted to try showing that they were equals in the marriage, even if I put Stone a tier above Cynthia in terms of Pokemon accomplishments. I wish I had made room for Cynthia to win a world championship of her own, as that’s how strong I view her in this universe. I may still do that, in one of the future tournaments. Having Cynthia marry Stone was not intended to make her another trophy for Stone, but to make a cliché “Power Couple”, two people who were attracted to each other based on their celebrity/high-achiever lifestyles.

          There’s also the very questionable use of firearms in a Pokemon story: as soon as you introduce guns into this universe, you are adding an element that cannot be ignored and will definitely have ramifications for the tone and mood of the story. Now every serious conflict, every battle that isn’t part of the sport, I now have to ask myself “Would they have a gun? Would they be willing to use it?”. Also, how powerful are guns and weapons compared to Pokemon? And how can I keep a conflict more light-hearted, less serious, when guns are present?

          Like the bit where Red says his battle against Giovanni at Silph Co. had no impact and didn’t even force Giovanni to retreat, since Giovanni had a gun trained on Red the entire time. It changes the context of the original story, doesn’t it?

          It’s important here in that, while this is Stone’s story, it is really Red’s background that’s being discussed. Red is the one who carries on the burdens and themes that Succession raises, thus the title.

          Keido being an OC and appearing just for the final few chapters made him a little forgettable apparently. The battle was sort of gratuitous, but hey, readers seem to like the action and I like delivering it. It was a good battle, and the double battle format made it unique and a challenge to write, and also afforded some good strategy showcases.

          Critics talk a lot about the emotion, history, buildup, characterization, tension, and other thematic elements of action pieces, but I think what never gets enough critical discussion is the simple mechanics of action. Figuring out tactics, strategy, movement, dissecting decision-making and execution, really digging in and figuring out why this person won – well, battles are won or lost according to the author’s whim, but they have to at least show a reasonable in-universe logic for why and how a battle is prosecuted. This intellectual aspect of combat is one of the main draws to action series for me, and for many others. I hope battles like Stone versus Keido fulfills that demand.

 

* * *

 

**Transmutation**

          By far my weakest story. It’s not supposed to be a one-shot filler like Morty versus Red, but it ends up reading like one. It skims over a story-arc that honestly deserves at least 50k words worth of narrative, if not more. Silver’s relation to the HGSS protagonists, his journey through Johto, his personal turmoil and his conflict with his crime-boss father, are all great fodder for a personal narrative.

          Unfortunately, Silver isn’t my favorite character and I just didn’t have time to flesh his story out. Transmuation was written more to give him background before flinging him at Jasmine for a fan-service battle during the Goldenrod Arc. Overall, that battle was awesome but had very little bearing on either of these characters’ stories.

          Silver’s motivations and goals aren’t well formed. Him wanting to defeat Giovanni because he was a sucky father is a good basis for a story, and Silver wanting to take over Team Rocket for himself and use it for good is also a great idea, but the execution was shoddy; what exactly Silver intends to do with Team Rocket and what he’s fighting for are ill-defined and ill-motivated.

          The climactic battle is also stupid. I created a grotesque perversion of a battle with Tyranitar’s “Ultra Evolution”, more as a knee-jerk reaction against Mega Evolutions (which I find distasteful and wished to satirize) than any thoughtful expansion of Pokemon power mechanics. The gun issue from Succession inserted itself again- if the Rockets and Ultra Tyranitar were that much of a problem, wouldn’t the government use the military to stop them? And what mix of Pokemon and weaponry would they deploy? And if Ultra Tyranitar was going to be a threat, he ought to be able to counter the military, even the cruise missiles and naval destroyers, which was stupid. Furthermore, if it was going to be this big and this dangerous, there’s no way the military would allow kids to join the operation, e.g. Lyra and Ethan. The world I’ve created was supposed to be more realistic than this, kids were supposed to act like kids, not adults, much less hardened military commandos. I really regret how Transmutation ended.

 

* * *

 

**Path of Least Resistance**

          A great work, and yet still held back by being too short. This work could easily have taken on the proportions, scope, length, and drama of Olivine Romance. Conversely, if Jasmine weren’t so damn reticent and admitted her secret to others, Olivine would probably be as short as Path.

          The trio’s relationship and friendship could have used more fleshing out. Showing Gil and Flint interacting without Volkner’s direct input could have made their secret romantic relationship more believable. It still worked, but it didn’t have the buildup it could have.

          I really like how the story finished, how the elements came together to show why Volkner is the way he is in Olivine. However, I wish I had him at a slightly different starting emotional level- more cocky, not exactly optimistic but at least steadfastly determined to achieve his goals. In Path, he pretty much starts mopey and ends mopey, and it’s only the degree that changes.

          With stronger character development, I could have turned Volkner versus Flint into an epic showdown with a full on battle, to show how these two close friends became bitter enemies, and how they eventually reconciled. I liked Volkner’s development, how he reacts to different inputs and isn’t sure which instinct to follow, and how he struggles to fit in with society when his moral compass is telling him to rebel- this was a theme I wish I could explore more seriously, because I think it’s not given justice in other fictions: whenever there is a dichotomy between personal morality versus social morality, the social aspect always loses and the importance of acceptance is always downplayed or outright ignored as a factor; rebels are celebrated without question, as if anti-conformity is the default right choice. I wanted to show with Volkner and PoLR that it is a hard choice, a sacrifice, and it doesn’t necessarily lead to a happy conclusion.

          Also, I wish I had better developed the school’s hatred of Gil beyond a generic homophobic hysteria. Something that was harder to paint in black and white terms would have challenged Volkner more- perhaps shifting the focus from Gil’s sexual orientation to his sexual proclivity would have been better.

 

* * *

 

**Things I Can Never Say**

          Honestly, my best work.

          Mainly defined by how clean and crisp the main story arc is. The conflict is clearly defined, it goes through several marked iterations, and finally resolves satisfactorily via means developed throughout the story. Erika’s issue of being a Team Rocket pawn, sacrificing her own moral purity in order to safeguard the Oddish, is slowly but steadily built up throughout the story. Her personal characterization arc and themes weave perfectly within this framework; she is too conflict-averse to step up and do the hard deed of opposing Team Rocket. In the end, rather than having to destructively subvert her personality and ideals to fight Team Rocket, she finds salvation in her own way: Jasmine bails her out. However, it’s not merely a cliché, pandering story of a selfless hero coming to the aid of a hapless stranger. It is Erika’s strengths, her kindness, care, goodwill, and motherly, nurturing nature, that inspires Jasmine to care enough to assert her more fearless (or reckless) brand of action. Erika could not fight for herself, but she could recruit a proxy, basically.

          Unlike every other work, Things I Can Never Say is well paced. It addresses all the major plot points without wasting time on minutia. The one filler chapter does what filler is best for: levity. The Eevee swarm episode is both funny and helps Erika understand more about Jasmine’s character, namely her romance-aversion. Things start innocent and become serious in gradual degrees, with surprise twists spaced out well.

          The final chapter is not strictly necessary to complete the story, and could have been significantly shortened or left out entirely without affecting the main story. However, this is where Things I Can Never Say may fall short, if it weren’t a side-story. It’s clear Erika’s relationship with her friend is the focal point of the story, but it is not until the end it becomes explicitly romantic. If this were a stand-alone project, the girls would probably want a resolution then and there. However, as TICNS is intended to be a supplementary to Olivine Romance, and Erika’s lesbian feelings towards Jasmine form a major plot point in Olivine, the romantic tension/conflict could not be resolved at the end of Things. I am okay with this. I think it works perfectly fine this way, especially given that Jasmine is not intended to reciprocate Erika’s feelings, which would make for a terrible ending if Things were standalone. Also, it would make “Things I Can Never Say” a nonsensical title if Erika divulged everything to Jasmine.

          What I finally like about this story is that Erika is gay, but it isn’t cliché or trite or overly dramatic.

          I don’t think “diversity” has any inherent value in fiction. I don’t include homosexuals “just because”, nor do I include them because I’m trying to fulfill a quota of representation. I introduce homosexuality for the same reason I introduce any other element into a story: to make it more interesting.

          The point of Erika being gay is for her to be attracted to Jasmine, but not the other way around. This creates a unique dynamic that further explores Jasmine’s sexuality (the whole point of Olivine) that’s different from the typical “boys are perverts!” issue that afflicts her. I’m also proud that I could make Erika’s sexuality a core part of her personality, without it overwhelming her personality or making it her sole source of conflict. The core conflict of Things is not Erika struggling against homophobia, but against the completely unrelated issue of organized crime and government corruption. Nor is she an idealized heroine. She is cowardly, her Pokemon acumen is good but not elite, and her intellect is not genius-level. She is not completely devoid of good qualities either: her social acumen is top-notch, and she possesses resolve and determination in spades. In other words, she is a normal human being with strengths and weaknesses, something I hoped would make her relatable.

          Too often I see media trying to introduce a minority character, and then, as if their minority status was a sufficient defect already, they are overloaded with positive qualities, to the point of becoming Mary Sues. More than simply make the character unrelatable or annoying, what this does is concentrate all their conflict on their minority status. When they are so strong/gifted/smart/good-natured that their only drawback is being different from an assumed “societal standard”, it’s impossible to have a good conflict that doesn’t involve their sex/race/orientation/religion/whatever. This constrains their character and forces them into tired, clichéd storylines. It also comes with the assumption that their sex/race/ orientation/religion/whatever is also a defect in the first place, which seems counter-productive to me.


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